DeStefano, Steffen Reach Milestones; Lions Split

DRUMS, Pa. -- Seniors Katie DeStefano (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) and Katy Steffen (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) both reached personal milestones as Penn State Brandywine played to a doubleheader split at Penn State Hazleton Sunday in Penn State University Athletic Conference softball. Brandywine took the opener 13-9, but dropped game two by a score of 11-5.

DeStefano, who defeated Hazleton for the third time in three days, became Brandywine's first pitcher to reach 200 career strikeouts during game one. She fanned Danielle King during the first inning, giving her exactly 200 strikeouts during her 58th appearance in the circle at Brandywine. She finished the game with a pair of strikeouts, while upping her record to 9-5 this spring.

Steffen joined Julia Allman in the 100 RBI club for Brandywine after driving in five runs during the opener. A run-scoring double in the fourth gave Steffen 99 RBI and she went over the 100 RBI mark three innings later after sending a grand slam over the fence for her 15th career home run. Steffen now owns 103 runs batted in during 88 games.

Hazleton batted around during the first inning against DeStefano in game one, scoring four times, but Brandywine battled back with seven-straight runs to take over the lead.

Rachel Cherubini (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) slashed an RBI double to left field and Julie Foeldes (Kendall Park, N.J./South Brunswick) added a sacrifice fly during a three-run third inning. Alexa Anderson (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) put the Lions in the lead as her two-run double scored Arianna Segich (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) and Maddie Malfara (Ardsley, Pa./Abington) one inning later.

Haley Grossi (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick) clubbed her first career home run in the fifth inning to up the lead to 7-4.

Hazleton scored twice in the sixth to pull within 7-6, but Brandywine answered with a six-run seventh inning to pull away. Grossi added an RBI double, while Malfara recorded a run-scoring single before Steffen delivered the big blow with her grand slam.

Brandywine tallied 15 hits, including five players who tallied at least two. Anderson went 3-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored and two RBI, while Steffen added two hits and drove in five.

Foeldes' RBI single capped a three-run third inning in game two as Brandywine took a 3-1 lead. However, the lead was short-lived as Hazleton countered with three scores in the bottom of the inning and then tacked on five more one frame later.

Grossi blasted her second home run of the day and sixth extra-base hit in four games against Hazleton this week during the fifth inning, while Foeldes went 3-for-4 to lead the Brandywine offense.

Brandywine (9-6-1, 4-2 PSUAC), which claimed three-of-four games against Hazleton this weekend, returns home on Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader against Eastern University beginning at 3:00 PM.